Smoke Map August 14, 2018, 09:05:53 am Came across this helpful resource for those traveling/ camping this summer:PNW Smoke Map 4 Likes
Re: Smoke Map Reply #1 – August 14, 2018, 06:05:24 pm Yep, our place is under one of those red dots, considered "Unhealthy". Visibility is about one mile, the smell is negligible. The atmosphere is oddly lit, glowing yellow to orange, without a breath of breeze from offshore. Not a good time for those with impaired cardiovascular systems.
Re: Smoke Map Reply #2 – August 14, 2018, 07:27:32 pm We arrived in Chimacum, WA today thinking this trip would keep us away from the smoke this year. Apparently, we should have gone to the southeast or up with Mike in Newfoundland.We had plans to visit Banff and Jasper for the first time after Sept 1 but thinking we may need to cancel those reservations.Wonder how long it's going to take to burn everything to the ground so the west will quit burning?Jim 1 Likes
Re: Smoke Map Reply #3 – August 14, 2018, 08:15:47 pm Quote from: Jim & Gayle - August 14, 2018, 07:27:32 pmWe arrived in Chimacum, WA today thinking this trip would keep us away from the smoke this year. Apparently, we should have gone to the southeast or up with Mike in Newfoundland.We are on Orcas Island and the air has been smokey for two days. So much for the plan not to go inland this summer, instead we hoped staying on the coast would provide a better chance for clear air. There goes that theory. Here is another smoke map that is easier to get the idea how bad things are.https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.smoke_wildfiresLarry 1 Likes
Re: Smoke Map Reply #4 – August 14, 2018, 11:31:01 pm Shockingly, we don't have wind in the forecast for the next few days. Probably good for the fire fighters, but the smoke will continue to hang around.
Re: Smoke Map Reply #5 – August 15, 2018, 01:46:37 am On Saturday we headed to Table Mountain about 25 north of Elensburg which is about 125 miles east of Seattle. Skies were clear with some clouds, No Smoke! Our plan was to watch the meteor showers from 5200 foot elevation in a place where the NW star party used to operate until it got to large. Saturday night skies were great except for clouds from time to time and 40 to 45 mile winds and low 40s temps. Sunday midday arrives some smoke, but increases until it is only clear for mostly overhead, the horizons are blearred. On Monday driving down through the smoke layers was a challenge because it was intense at some elevations but would get better as we moved through those area. We drove to Lake Kachess about 60 miles east but the smoke did not improve much. On Tuesday we left for Seattle and Vashon island another 75 miles west and as we drove across the west Seattle bridge you could hardly make out the Seattle skyline less then a mile away. Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB
Re: Smoke Map Reply #6 – August 15, 2018, 01:48:31 am Quote from: paul banbury - August 14, 2018, 11:31:01 pmShockingly, we don't have wind in the forecast for the next few days. Probably good for the fire fighters, but the smoke will continue to hang around. The smoke moving over the mountains above Port Angeles from the east Friday was quite a site with clear air down below. I think it was from a relatively small local fire, there are a few on the Olympic Peninsula. The rain Saturday was unusually heavy. Then I think the easterly flow of air brought the BC and/or eastern Washington smoke flowing through the strait. Now it looks like the worst place in the state, with extra dark red dots on the smoke map.
Re: Smoke Map Reply #7 – August 15, 2018, 02:04:33 am Karen read that there were over 132 lightning strikes in Washington on Saturday although we never saw any rain near Elensburg where we were. These strikes have spurned a whole new set of wild fires adding to the smoke here. Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB
Re: Smoke Map Reply #8 – August 15, 2018, 08:54:25 am Looking at the maps, it looks like the place to camp right now in the west is in the Great Basin. Anyone heading to Great Basin National Park? Lots of great hiking there!
Re: Smoke Map Reply #9 – August 15, 2018, 09:27:36 am Well on the bright side we in the PNW are moving up to the top of the worst air quality in the world. Yup world.This link is from Oregon Live. Be warned is has at least 10 web trackers and a large unknown site of ads and cookies. Everything you need to know about Portland's abysmal air quality | OregonLive...For those that just want an Oregon view of the air qualityOregon DEQ Air quality
Re: Smoke Map Reply #10 – August 15, 2018, 09:34:09 am Quote from: colddog - August 15, 2018, 09:27:36 amWell on the bright side we in the PNW are moving up to the top of the worst air quality in the world. Yup world.This link is from Oregon Live. Be warned is has at least 10 web trackers and a large unknown site of ads and cookies. Everything you need to know about Portland's abysmal air quality | OregonLive...For those that just want an Oregon view of the air qualityOregon DEQ Air qualityWhen the air's too bad, the great thing about having a Lazy Daze is that you can go mobile!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKX6GOmTGBA
Re: Smoke Map Reply #11 – August 15, 2018, 11:43:41 am Here is a look at the fires in British Columbia. 2018 British Columbia wildfires | Google Crisis MapJim
Re: Smoke Map Reply #12 – August 15, 2018, 01:53:58 pm "We had plans to visit Banff and Jasper for the first time after Sept 1 but thinking we may need to cancel those reservations." Jim, we feel your pain, our son has a week off starting this Sunday so we were going to go to Jasper/Banff or Glacier NP or the Sawtooths in Idaho and fly him back but at this time it does not look good for any of those locations, it's not great hanging out here in the PNW! Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB
Re: Smoke Map Reply #13 – August 15, 2018, 02:17:19 pm "We had plans to visit Banff and Jasper for the first time after Sept 1..."Thanks for that link in the previous post Jim!From what I see on that map of British Columbia there are no fires in the Banff or Jasper areas, certainly nothing to keep me from those areas at this time, for sure. What I did see was a couple of fires to the west, across the Continental Divide, nearer Radium Hot Springs, a very fur piece from Banff.
Re: Smoke Map Reply #14 – August 15, 2018, 02:31:05 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - August 15, 2018, 02:17:19 pm"We had plans to visit Banff and Jasper for the first time after Sept 1..."Thanks for that link in the previous post Jim!From what I see on that map of British Columbia there are no fires in the Banff or Jasper areas, certainly nothing to keep me from those areas at this time, for sure. What I did see was a couple of fires to the west, across the Continental Divide, nearer Radium Hot Springs, a very fur piece from Banff. There are fires both west and south of the area. About a week ago they had an unhealthy air advisory. If the views are going to be obscured due to smoke I am voting for making the trip another time. If you can't enjoy the views I don't see the point. When we made a trip on the ferry into Seattle a couple of days ago you could barely make out the skyline from Bainbridge Island.Smoke prompts air quality statement for Jasper National Park – Jasper's...Jim
Re: Smoke Map Reply #15 – August 15, 2018, 02:37:22 pm I looked at ski areas live webcams and other webcams for those areas. Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB
Re: Smoke Map Reply #16 – August 15, 2018, 02:48:25 pm Quote from: Karen & Liam - August 15, 2018, 02:37:22 pmI looked at ski areas live webcams and other webcams for those areas. Some National Park webcams:National Park Live Webcams & Weather
Re: Smoke Map Reply #17 – August 15, 2018, 04:20:46 pm FYI, a provincial state of emergency was just declared in BC:B.C. declares provincial state of emergency due to wildfires | Globalnews.ca
Re: Smoke Map Reply #18 – August 15, 2018, 04:30:00 pm Our plan in two weeks or so is to head north to Seattle then east along Highway 2 to get to Michigan down to Tennessee then cutting across the middle of the US. I'm now thinking maybe doing the reverse i.e. gong thru Utah thru to Kansas, Missouri Tennessee then up. I'm thinking by then the smoke will be cared. Well I still have two weeks........
Re: Smoke Map Reply #19 – August 15, 2018, 06:27:33 pm QuoteWell I still have two weeks........Two weeks and be a long time in fire season, thinks change rapidly.Reversing your course would put you onto US 2 toward Seattle later in the fire season and there could be new fires any time.On a western trip a few years ago ( Sacramento- Salt Lake City, Idaho Falls, Boise, Burns, Bend, Susanville, Reno Sacramento),Salt Lake City was CAVU until a fire South of the Salt Lake. Several more starts during the trip led to 1/4 mile visibility in Reno.
Re: Smoke Map Reply #20 – August 16, 2018, 01:20:07 pm Just a FYI from a kid on the other coast...Smoke from California’s wildfires is reaching Washington and Baltimore - The...
Re: Smoke Map Reply #21 – August 16, 2018, 02:52:36 pm Quote from: John DaCrema - August 16, 2018, 01:20:07 pmJust a FYI from a kid on the other coast...Smoke from California’s wildfires is reaching Washington and Baltimore - The...As mother always said "we are all downwind" 1 Likes
Re: Smoke Map Reply #22 – August 16, 2018, 05:36:36 pm Quote from: colddog - August 16, 2018, 02:52:36 pmAs mother always said "we are all downwind"That reminded me:Dust from the SaharaDust from Mongolia
Re: Smoke Map Reply #23 – August 17, 2018, 11:34:14 am Having endured a month of smoke in BC last year, I would not venture there when there are fires burning. You can find yourself trapped when the road you came in on is also the only road out and it's closed.They have LOTS of trees and part of central BC is a desert - very dry.
Re: Smoke Map Reply #24 – August 20, 2018, 07:11:12 pm Interesting article in the Washington Post about fires and smoke coverage in time lapse.Watch wildfire smoke blanket most of the country in this time lapse of...